The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-02-16
GATHERING SPRUCE GUM
HOW THE AROMATIC PRODUCT Is
COLLECTED FOR MARKET.

A New York dealer in spruce gum
said TO a San reporter "The supply OF
natural gum is very large, and would
be still larger if it were not that the
spruce forests where 1t is obtained have
been so thinned out by the inroads Of
the iumbermen that the gum gatherer
cannot obtain the quantities that he
could in former years. One of the prin-
cipal occupations in Bennington, Vt, is
the dealing in spruce gum, and Belfast,
Augusta, and other places in Maine make
an important item Of this product in
their trading
ut is no uncommon thing to see men,
women and children coming into these
pla es laden with all they can carry of
the aromatic spruce gum, and why
shouldn't theyl 1t is worth to them 81.
pound in cash. Some men will bring
in on their backs as much as 200 pounds
of the material, all ready to be put in
form for the mouths of those who like it.
Dealers in Augusta say that the retail
trade in spruce gum in that city alone
foots up over So, 600 year. The largest
spruce gum dealer in the world is in
Bennington. He handles between Ii, 900
and 10000 pounds year. He employs
not less than seventy-hve persons TO col
lect gum for him in the season, which is
from October to June. The business
cannot be carried on in the summer, as
the hot weather causes the gum to run
together, and form in masses that i'm
pair its appearance and cause it to de
teriorate in value.
Spruce gum is obtained in the forests
of Canada, Maine, New Hampshire and
Vermont. The gum gatherers go many
miles into the forest, erect rude cabins,
and each one remains until he has gath
cred one hundred pounds. He carries it
home, where the women and children
cleanse the gum from all its impurities,
such rs bark, twigs and other foreign
substances, and sort it into the different
grades, all of which are known even by
the youngest child in the business 1t is
big days work for woman to clean
and sort ten pounds While the house
hold is cleansing his collection the gum
gatherer returns to the woods and works
until he has secured another batch, and
getting it is no easy or rapid work. The
gatherer goes through the woods looking
at the virgin spruces. When the gum
that forms on the outside of the trees is
once removed the tree will never again
yield enough to make it worth the while
of the gatherer to visit it.. 90 he must
hunt out the trees tnat have escaped the
notice of his class during all the years
the woods have been searched by them.
The gum gatherer carries stout pole,
which is in sections, like a jointed fish
ing rod. At one end of the pole is a
chisel fitted snugly to the wood Beneath
the chisel is a cup holding probably half
pint. When the gatheIer discovers a
mass of gum on a tree, no matter how
high it may be, he runs his chisel up
against it and cuts it of, when it falls in
to the cup. 1t is then placed in an oiled
bag which is slung across the back of
the gatherer. This arduous work contin-
ues without cessation during the months
mentioned, and so slow is the accumula-
tion of the gum by the collector, ordi-
narily, that he considers himself fortu-
nate if he gathers a hundred pounds a
month.
Boston chews more spruce gum than
any other place in the country, and deal
ers say that Chicago consumes the next
largest quantity. The great supply is OBJ
tanned in Bennington as, centre but
the small numbering villages of Maine
send enormous quantities to market.
the Maine lumber camps never returns
home from the woods without fetching
with him a large lump of the choicest
spruce gum he can collect as gift to his
sweetheart, and his coming with the
offering is anxiously awaited by her, as
next to him she loves the fragrant resin
of the spruce. The lover who should
fail to pay this homage to his fair lady
would be hooted out of the Maine lum-
Der woods as a man unworthy the trust,
to say nothing of the affection, of the
gentle sex.
''They have in these isolated villages
pastime which they call the yanking
bee, which requires great tenacity of
jaw and power of endurance to enjoy A
yanking bee is gathering of young peo-
pie who meet for the avowed purpose of
yanking or chewing spruce gum. The
fun of the party consists in chewing the
gum in as large 'gobs as the mouth can
hold, and accompanying the performance
with as loud a noise as the lips can make
while the chewing is going on A large
lump of prime spruce gum is the prize
which the person who chews the longest
and the loudest will win. After the yanB
is over the fiddler comes in, and daylight
comes before the festivities of the beC
are over.
"Spruce gum, they assert in Main,
and other lumbering States, possesses
great medicinal properties, and they alst
say there is nothing like it for indiges
tion and disordered stomach. That is
mere matter of opinion, and it is rathe
doubtful Lumbermen say that in tel
years there will be no more spruce gun
gathered for market because there viii
be no more to gather. At the presen
time, however, You may set it down as
fact that there is still plenty of genuine
unadulterated spruce gum sold TO con
sumers "
Nm In tba Moon